A wide variety of electrical devices typically draw AC power from a commercial source, usually delivered through a wall receptacle or socket, via a corresponding electrical plug.
A conventional electrical plug typically has a pair of conductive power pins for insertion into corresponding female connectors in the socket. The plug typically also includes an earth or ground pin that is inserted into a corresponding female connector in the socket that is coupled to ground. In certain countries, the earth pin is slightly longer than the power pins and also functions to open a spring loaded shutter in the socket, to allow insertion of the power pins into their respective female connectors in the socket. This safety feature thus requires that an earth pin be included in all plugs even when there is no need for a ground connection.
Battery chargers comprise one type of electrical device whose plugs typically do not require an earth or ground connection. However, to provide the shutter opening function, a dummy ground pin still needs to be provided. Such prior art earth pins are usually in a fixed position on the electrical plug, which makes the electrical plug unnecessarily bulky.
One prior art method for repositioning the earth pin in an electrical plug is to connect the earth pin to a hinge, to enable the pin to be rotated between two positions, an open position and a stored position. The pin is rotated 90° between these two positions about the axis of the hinge.
Consumers of electrical products in recent times have shown a desire for more compact designs. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the amount of space taken up by an electrical plug when not in use, to enable the plug to be more compact.